Observations from Meiss Ridge

Location Name: 
Meiss Ridge
Region: 
Carson Pass Area
Date and time of observation: 
Fri, 02/22/2013 - 13:00
Location Map: 
United States
38° 42' 17.316" N, 120° 0' 29.844" W
See map: Google Maps
US


Red Flags: 
Observation made by: Forecaster
Snowpit Observations
More detailed information about the snowpack: 

Observations made in this area today targeted areas of unstable wind slab observed on Feb 20. A significant increase in stability was observed with now stable wind slabs on S-SW-W aspects. In most areas on S-SW-W aspects, 6 to 8 inches of snow is available for wind transport by building SW winds. Isolated areas hold 1 to 2 feet if snow available for wind transport.

Photo 1: Several inches of snow available for wind transport on a SW-W aspect at 8,960'.

Photo 2: Building SW winds were just becoming strong enough to move snow at 2pm. Ski tracks on the left were fresh while the tracks on the right were 2 hours old and starting to fill in with wind transported snow.

Video: ECTN results on wind slab that was very unstable 2 days prior.

A second test pit in similar terrain at 38.70670, -120.01093 yielded similar ECTN results on a thinner 8 inch wind slab with otherwise similar snowpack layering structure to the pit and ECT's noted above.

A small amount of snow surface melt occurred below 9,000' on S aspects in this area today. Very small natural roller balls were noted off rocks where melt rates were greater.

Snowpit or crown profile photo or graph: 
Snowpack photos: 
Snowpit videos (tests, etc): 

20130222 Miess Ridge.MOV

Weather Observations
Blowing Snow: 
Cloud Cover: 
25% of the sky covered by clouds
Air temperature: 
Below Freezing
Wind Speed: 
Moderate
Precipitation: 
Air temperature trend: 
Warming
Wind Direction: 
Southwest
Accumulation rate: 
More detailed information about the weather: